Improvement in the manufaoibbe of illumimtiug gas



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JOHN A. B'ASSETT, or SALEM. MASSACHUSETTS. Letters PM No. 66,070, (andJune. 25, 1 867.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.

Be it known that I, JOHN AtBASSETT, ofSalem, in the county of Essex, andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inManufacture of Illuminating Gas; and Ido hereby declare the following tobe a full description of the same.

My invention consists in making an improved illuminating gas forlighting cities, towns, etc., by mixing atmospheric air with coal gas orca'rburetted hydrogen, and enriching the mixture thus obtained bycharging it 'with any suitable hydrocarbon vapor, carburetting it up toany desirable photometric value; thb object being toiproduce a cheapilluminating gas by the mixture of the vapors of the light hydrocarbons(preferably from petroleum) which are ahundant'and cheap, and coal gasor carburetted hydrogen.

When this process is to be carried on at the gas-works, I- ma'keuse oftwo gas-holders, one of which is filled \riith onlinary coal gas,(carburetted hydrogen,) and theothcr is filled with atmospheric air.From each of these hdldcrs an outlet pipe, furnished withreigulatingmocks, cornects witha gas carburettor of any suitable form,so that the mingled gas and air are cnarged with the vapor of ahydrocarbon just before it issues to the distributing main. Any suitablearrangement which will exposefa large surface of hydrocarbon fluid tothe volume of mingled gas and air may be used; but I prefer to use forthis purpose a chamber containing a series d one above the other, overthe surface of which the gas and air are compelled to pass;

the pans being filled with a li'q uid hydrocarbon-the light products ofpetroleum being the cheapest for this purposethe specific gravity ofwhich should be from 70 to 80 13. lhc object of the valves before men- Itioned is to regulate the flow of the gas and air, so that theproportionate quantity of either may be allowed to pass to thecarburettor. As the coal gas varies in its illuminating power, differentproportions'of air may be requir d to makethe proper mixture, having theright illuminating value. Instead of two holders, used as above setforth, oneholder for coal gas may be retained, and the air introduced,by an air-pump or blower, to the main leading to the carburettor, bywhich the coal'gas passes.

'Under some conditions, for special reasons, it may be desirable toenrich the volume of air with the hydrocarbon before mixing it with thecoal gogand afterwards mix it with the volume of gas, eithercarburetting the gas or not, is maybe required. In place of thecarburettor described, the enriching of the mixture of gases may beperformed in the main lcading'from the gas-holders, vihcre, by injectingthe hydrocarbon in the form of fine spray, the volume of gas and airbecomes carburctted onits passage through the main, or any other meansmay be used to evaporate the hydrocarbon atahy desirable point in themain. It may be necessary, in severely cold weather, to either heat thegas'before it passes to the carburetter or to arm the hydrocarbonin thecarburetting chamber, so as to more thoroughly volatilize thehydrocarbon. In summer weather it will be found possible .to use alarger proportion of atmospheric air than in winter, as the hydrocarbonsevaporate more uniformly and produce a better illuminating compound, andthere is less condeusationof the light-giving constituents of the gas.Any carburetted hydrogen may be used for this purpose, either made fromcoal, peat, shale, wood, rosiA,, ta-r, or liquid hydrocarbons; or theproducts of the decomposition of water upon red-hot carbon (hydrogen andcarbonic'oxide) may be substituted for the hydrocarbon gases. In the useof all these gases it is necessary to modify the quan tity'of airaccording to the photometric value of the gas; and by increasing ordiminishing the surface or power of the carburettor, and the quantity ofhydrocarbon vapor used, the illuminating power may be perfectlycontrolled, It is obvious that the combined carburetted hydrogen and airmay be distributed through the mains and the mixture of gases enrichedatthe point of consumption. The carburettor may be placed on theconsumers premises, and the gas required for illuminating purposescarburetted, while the volume of combined gas whichcomes from the gasworks may be used direct for heating and other purposes. By connectingthe carburettor with a. reservoir of hydrocarbon liquid or continuoussupply is maintained for a long time, requiring little attention. Streetlanterns may also have asmall carburetting device applied in the someway and accomplishing the same result. t

C'laz'm.

Having thus described the nature of myinve11t-ion,\vhat I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process herein described for the manufacture of illuminating gas,which process consists in charging a mixture of chnl gas, or itsequivalent, andn 'r with the vapor of any suitable hydrocarbon liquid,substantially as described.

2. The improved illuminating gas, made substantially as set forth.

J. A. BASSETT.

Witnesses:

'i'. 0. (humour, EDWIN J. McLAIN.

